Dubai never stops redefining convenience, and this next update might just change how we travel forever.

Imagine this: You hop on a train, check in your luggage before reaching the airport, and head straight to your gate when you arrive. Sounds futuristic? That’s exactly what’s being planned for Al Maktoum International Airport, soon to become the world’s largest capacity airport.

According to Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, passengers using Etihad Rail will be able to check in their luggage directly from the station before boarding the train to the airport. The idea? Make air travel so seamless that long check-in lines become a thing of the past.

And that’s not all. The airport, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), is being designed to handle 260 million passengers a year. Yep, that’s more than any other airport in the world.

An airport with its own underground train system

If you think that’s impressive, wait till you hear this. DWC will also have an underground train network to help travellers move between terminals faster. Considering the airport’s massive scale, journeys inside the airport could take up to 20 minutes, so, yes, there’ll be seating inside the carriages.

Griffiths described it best: “The new underground system has to be fast, efficient and comprehensive, almost like going from King’s Cross to Paddington in London.”

AI-powered travel ahead

To make things even smoother, Artificial Intelligence will manage operations, from luggage movement to directing passengers to their gates. The airport will also feature eight smaller terminals, hundreds of gates, and five parallel runways. In total, the project spans a mind-blowing 70 square kilometres.

Phase one of the Dh128 billion project is expected to be completed within 10 years, accommodating up to 150 million passengers annually.